Inspired by a Southern classic, Tangerine Chess Pie rates a double-wow!

I’m an inveterate chess-pie lover. As with carrot salad and baked fish, chess pie takes me back to my growing-up days and dining at Wyatt’s Cafeteria in the Casa Linda Plaza in Dallas. As a wee sprout I didn’t realize that creamy, sweet custardy pie was a Southern icon; I just knew that on the dessert row, the choice between chess pie and chocolate layer cake was exceptionally difficult. Despite it being in a contest with chocolate, the pie usually won out.

Southern Living’s February 2012 issue (how can one magazine issue contain so many treasures under one cover? I’ll still be testing them until Christmas.) featured an article giving a new twist to some Southern classics. Chess pie was one of the classics it doctored up. The recipe featured was for Tangerine Chess Pie. The magazine stated that even anti-chess pie diehards (whatever misguided persons that might be) would give this new concoction thumbs-up! I had to see what this recipe was like.

Tangerine Chess Pie is baked in the same way as the traditional version except it contains 1/3 cup of fresh-squeezed tangerine (or orange juice) and 2 teaspoons tangerine (or orange zest). The top of the pie, once baked, is garnished with extra-thin tangerine (or orange) slices.

I loved the slight hint of citrus amidst the traditional custard filling. Hubby’s response: “Looks like a breakfast pie to me!” I reminded him that this wasn’t the day after Thanksgiving, when he annually consumes his legendary pumpkin-pie slice for his day-after morning meal. That didn’t hold him back as he dove into a Tangerine Chess Pie slice and consumed it. Double-wow! was his rating of this wonderful dish.

Tangerine Chess Pie

1 (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts

1 1/2 cups sugar (or sugar substitute)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon plain yellow cornmeal

1/4 teaspoon salt (or salt substitute)

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 teaspoons tangerine or orange zest

1/3 cup fresh tangerine juice or orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

4 large eggs, lightly beaten (or 1 cup egg substitute)

garnishes: sweetened whipped cream (or sugar-free whipped topping),

tangerine (or orange) slices

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Unroll pie crusts; stack on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 12-inch circle. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch pie plate; fold edges under, and crimp edges. Use a fork to prick bottom and sides of crust. Bake 8 minutes; cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Whisk together sugar and next 8 ingredients until all are blended. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until center of pie is set. Shield edges with foil after 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Makes 6 to 8 servings.